Government Issues New Online Child Privacy Rules

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government has announced new online child privacy rules it says give parents greater control over the personal information that can be collected from preteens on the Internet.

The Federal Trade Commission said the new regulations it issued Wednesday ensure that a 14-year-old law, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, keeps pace with evolving technology, including cellphones, software apps and social networking services.

Personal information about kids under 13 that cannot be collected without a parent's permission now includes a child's location as well as photos, videos and audio that contain a human image or voice.

The rules offer several new methods for verifying a parent's consent, the FTC said, including electronically scanned consent forms and video conferencing. Emailed consent is allowed in some cases.

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